Sydney FC will take a 1-all draw into the second leg of the Isuzu-UTE A-League Semi Final away to Melbourne City next Friday night.
An Adam Le Fondre penalty in the second half cancelled out Mathew Leckie’s early opener and Sydney FC could have taken a lead to Victoria, having two goals disallowed.
Sydney FC 1 (Le Fondre pen 64’) drew w. Melbourne City 1 (Leckie 18’)
Moments That Mattered
LE FONDRE GOAL DISALLOWED – 8’- Mak finds Le Fondre who taps home but the goal is chalked off for offside.
LECKIE GOAL – 18’ – Free-kick from the left is flicked on by Leckie who nudges it past Redmayne.
THREE SYDNEY FC CHANCES – 43’ – Caceres and Mak twice are denied by fine saves by Glover and the City defence.
LE FONDRE GOAL – 64’ – Le Fondre scores from the spot after Glover saved the original spot kick from Caceres, who had been upended for the penalty. It was re-taken for encroachment by Talbot.
GRANT GOAL DISALLOWED – 71’ – Burgess feeds Le Fondre in the right channel who slides the ball to the back post for Grant to tap home, but there’s a marginal offside to Le Fondre after a VAR check.
What They Said: Steve Corica: “We played really well again, I think we had more chances than them.
“We created more and defended really well. We were a bit sloppy on the goal early on but we showed great character to come back.
“The boys have great belief at the moment, it’s another game without a loss, that’s seven in a row now.
“We go down there next week with belief we are going to win.”
Match Report: Sydney FC will head to Melbourne City for the second leg of the A-League Semi-Final in confident mood following a well earned first leg draw against the league leaders.
The Sky Blues could even have taken a first leg lead to Victoria had goals to Adam Le Fondre and Rhyan Grant not been ruled out for offside.
Sydney FC started the better but Leckie opened the scoring on 18 minutes for the visitors with a neat header.
Corica’s troops came back into it towards half time when they had three near misses in the space of a minute. Mak was twice denied and Caceres from a tight angle.
Le Fondre brought the Sky Blues level with a re-taken penalty after Talbot had encroached Caceres’ missed spot kick.
Grant could have sealed it for the Sky Blues had VAR not intervened for an earlier offside and it means the sides are level at the break.
Sydney FC: 1. Andrew REDMAYNE (GK), 3. Joel KING, 4. Alex WILKINSON (C), 6. Jack RODWELL, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Adam LE FONDRE (12. Pat WOOD 84’), 11. Robert MAK (10. Joe LOLLEY 54’), 17. Anthony CACERES, 22. Max BURGESS (18. Diego CABALLO 92’), 23. Rhyan GRANT, 26. Luke BRATTAN.
Unused Subs: 20. TOM HEWARD-BELLE (GK), 2. JAMES DONACHIE, 19. ADRIAN SEGECIC.
Yellow Cards: King 70’, Grant 77’.
Red Cards: None.
Melbourne City FC: 1. Tom GLOVER (GK), 4. Nuno REIS, 8. Richard VAN DER VENNE (15. Andrew NABBOBUT 76’), 9. Jamie MACLAREN, 10. Florin BERENGUER (6. Thomas LAM 85’), 14. Valon BERISHA, 22. Curtis GOOD, 23. Marco TILIO, 25. Callum TALBOT (3. Scott JAMIESON 85’), 38. Jordan BOS.
Substitutes: 33. Matthew SUTTON (GK), 2. Scott GALLOWAY, 18. Jordon HALL, 35. Raphael RODRIGUES, 37. Max CAPUTO.
Yellow Cards: Good 88’.
Red Cards: None
Venue: Allianz Stadium
Referee: Adam Kersey
Attendance: 15,322
